TUESDAY, November 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — General cancer rates are up 2 percent, and cancer deaths are 18 percent higher for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) than for white individuals, according to a report published on Internet on November 8. in Chris: Cancer Journal for Physicians.
Tyler B. Kratzer, MPH, of the American Cancer Society in Kennesaw, Georgia, and colleagues examined the incidence and mortality of cancer among non-Hispanic AIAN individuals compared with non-Hispanic white individuals.
The researchers found that, compared to whites, overall cancer rates were 2% higher among AIAN individuals for incidence (2014 through 2018) and 18% higher for mortality (2015 through 2019). There was significant variation in the disparities by cancer type and geographic area. For example, cancer mortality rates were 8 and 31 percent higher in individuals with diabetes than in white individuals with breast cancer and prostate cancer, respectively, despite the lower incidence and availability of early detection tests for these cancers. Among AIAN individuals, the greatest burden for infection-related cancers, kidney cancer, and colorectal cancer was among Alaskan Natives. Mortality rates from infection-related cancers and kidney cancer were twice as high among human-infected individuals as in whites.
“These findings highlight the need for more effective strategies to reduce the prevalence of chronic precancerous infections and improve access to high-quality cancer screening and treatment for this group of individuals,” Kratz said in a statement.